Squeegee implement

ABSTRACT

A squeegee implement having an elongated homogeneous body of uniform cross-section providing integrally related head and blade portions of substantially like working length, with the head portion uniformly tubular and complementarily mounting in its bore a relatively rigid reinforcing bar providing therealong a radial rib part extending into the blade portion for controlledly limiting transverse deflections thereof, with said head portion being adapted for direct use as a handle or for mounting a separate handle stick means thereon, as disclosed.

United States Patent 1 1 'Soito 1 51 *Oct. 23, 1973 1 1 SQUEEGEE IMPLEMENT [76] Inventor: Frank s. Solto, 3029 Coolidge Ave., f' W Oakland Cant Assistant Exammer-Robert I. Sm1th i, Attorney-Harris Zimmerman Notice: The portion of the term of this m patent subsequent to June 23, 1988 has been disclaimed. ABSTRACT 5 a July 8, 1966 A squeegee implement having an elongated homogeneous body of uniform cross-section providing inte- PP 563,848 grally related head and blade portions of substantially like working length, with the head portion uniformly 52 11.5. C1. 15/245, 15/244 tubular and mPlememarilY mwming its bore a 51 1m. (:1. A47! l/06, A471 13/11 l l rigid ramming P Pmviding therelmlg a 53 Field of Search 15/145, 244, 245, Part extendmg the blade 15,2444 controlledly limiting transverse deflections thereof, with said head portion being adapted for direct use as [56] References Cited a handle or for mounting a separate handle stick UNITED STATES PATENTS means thereon, as disclosed.

747,566 12 1903 McNerney 15/245 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1,684,477 9/1928 Demand 15/245 UX 2,735,129 2/1956 Lorenz 15/245 X 3,059,262 10/1962 Marschner 15/145 PAIENIEUHCT 23 ms FIGI FIG-4 SQUEEGEE IMPLEMENT The invention relates to the structure of unitary squeegee implements for use in effecting a cleaning of various flat surfaces.

The present squeegee implement is of a manually actuatable type, and has been particularly designed for its workingapplication to the cleaning and/ or wiping of exposed larger surfaces such as those of upright walls and window panes or of horizontal walls and table tops while minimizing possible damaging contact of the implement with adjacent structures such as frames or furniture.

A general object is to provide an improved squeegeeimplement'of the character described having a head portion of a squeegee member of resiliently flexible material which is rigidified entirely by a non-extending internal means to provide an improved implement which lacks rigid edges or corners which might marringly engage articles adjacent a working zone for the squeegee blade.

A specific object of the invention is the provision of a squeegee member having an internally rigidified back portion which is adapted for direct use in manually effecting a working application of the blade portion of the member, or for unitarily mounting a handle menas mounted on the back portion for use in applying the blade to a work surface.

Another object of the invention is the provision for the squeegee member of a positively acting means for attaching its head portion to a special propelling handle for the member while providing desirable degrees of adjustment of said handle means along or about the head portion.

A further object is to provide unitary squeegee implements which require minimum numbers of elements in their assemblies.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage some of which, with the fore-going, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of a typical embodiment thereof and in the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a present squeegee implement assembly having its squeegee element shown as provided with an attached accessory handle means.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary intermediate and generally sectional side elevation of the assembly illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary and intermediate sectional view taken in the plane of the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a stepped sectional view of an end portion of the squeegee element of the implement having reference to the central body plane FIG. 5 is a perspective view of te implement assembly as disposed for a working application thereof by the use of a detachable handle stick.

As particularly shown, the features of present invention are incorporated in the structure of an implement 6 which basically includes a unitary squeegee member 7 having a head or top portion 8 from which a straight edged working blade portion 9 integrally extends. As is particularly indicated, the present squeegee member 7 essentially comprises a one-piece body of resiliently flexible composition (as of rubber, neoprene, etc.) and of uniform cross-section and width, and the squeegee head portion 8 preferably comprises a more or less cylindrical edge head from which blade portion 9 of uniform width integrally and radially extends and is appropriately tapered to a straight work-engaging edge 9' which is parallel to the longitudinal line of the head portion 8. The present squeegee member 7 differs, however, from usual one-piece or laminated type flexible squeegee members by being advantageously provided with a work-facilitating stiffening means disposed wholly within its confines to then provide a particularly simple and effective squeegee unit 10.

As particularly disclosed, the present squeegee body has its head portion 8 provided with a uniform and coaxial longitudinal bore 11 therethrough which retainedly encloses a slightly shorter stiffening means comprising a relatively rigid metallic (or other) rod member 12 such that the head portion 8 is laterally rigidified thereat while preferably leaving relatively short terminal parts 8' of the head portion 8 extending beyond the corresponding ends of the rod member 12 for functioning as terminal guard parts extending axially outwardly of the rod extremities 12', as is indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5. The exposed side parts of the head portion 8 about the rod 12 are also operative to provide a yielding lateral bumper means to prevent the damaging of objects adjacent the implement by the applied squeegee unit 10 operating along a work surface S. While the rod member 12 may comprise an insertable member for fixing within the bore 11, it will be understood that the squeegee member 7 might be originally molded about the rod 12 to provide the unit 10.

By particular reference to FIG. 2, it will be understood that the present tapered squeegee blade 9 extends radially from its connection with the squeegee head portion 8 at which it is thickest, and that the transverse flexing of the blade from its said head connection under working conditions would tend to weaken the blade at said connection. Accordingly, and as is brought out in FIG. 2, the stiffening rod 12 is preferably provided along its length with a uniform bladestiffening rib or fin l3 integral therwith and extending radially from and along it for its engagement in an interior complementary slot 14 extending from the head bore 11 within and along the blade. For facilitating the insertion of the rod 12, the rib 13 may taper slightly from the rod side to the bottom of the blade slot 14, and the straight outer rib edge 13 is preferably so spaced from the working edge 9 of the blade that a major portion of the flexing of the blade is arranged to occur beyond said rib edge, whereby the transverse bending of the flexed blade portion is distributed in such a manner that the blade wlll at no point be subjected to a deleterious degree of mechanical fatigue produced by repeated working applications of the working edge 9' of the squeegee blade portions.

Having the described basic squeegee assembly provided by the combination of the squeegee member 7 and the rod 12, it will be understood that the internally stiffened squeegee head portion 8 may be manually and directly gripped as a handle means for operatively applying the working edge 9' of the transversely and resiliently flexible squeegee blade portion 9 against and along a surface S to be engaged by the applied edge 9'. Instead, however, of the aforesaid possible direct handle use of the squeegee head portion 8 having the stiffening rod 12 fixed within it, an element 15 is shown as mounted on an intermediate minor part of the squeegee head portion 8 and provides jaws 16 and 17 carried by resiliently connected opposed arms 18 and 19 respectively for cooperatively compressing the head about the rod for utilizing the element as a combined handle and rod-securing means for the assembly, while the major side portion of the squeegee head exterior remains exposed as a laterally acting bumper means for the head except at the element 15 which is relatively short and is adjustably positionable along the head to advantageously provide for working applications of the head without marring strikable adjacent objects.

As shown, the head-mounted element 15 is further adapted for its use as a handle for the implement assembly 8 and 9 and essentially has its opposed clamp jaws 16 and 17 provided by the tranversely spaced jawproviding arms 18 and 19 advantageously comprising opposed parts of a one-piece body of a suitably resilient metallic, or other, material, with said arms biased toward a mutually spread head-receiving relation of the jaws, and being connected adjacent the jaws by a bolt 21 for drawing the jaws toward each other for firmly gripping the enclosed stiffening rod 12 through the yielding squeegee head 8 enclosing the rod 12, with said clamp jaws 16 and 17 respectively having opposed and cylindrically concave head-engaging faces for gripping the squeegee head portion 8 between them. The present arm-connecting portion 22 of the unit 13 is generally tubular and externally shaped to provide a manually graspable handle grip portion 23 thereat while providing an outwardly tapered socket cavity 24 adapted for the appropriate mounting therein of the connecting end of a suitable handle-stick 25 for use if desired or required.

Understanding that, during a squeegeeing application of the present implement, the preferred working angle of the squeegee blade 9 with reference to an engaged work surface S may desirably vary, the angular relation of the blade 9 to the axis of the socket cavity 24 of the clamp element 15, and any handle stick 25 therein, is preferably adjustable through a limited and angularly adjustable range of the plane of the squeegee blade 9 about the axis of the handle-receiving socket 24. Ween cooperatively engaged with the squeegee member 7, the opposed end edges 16 and 17'of the cooperative jaws l6 and 17 are mutually spaced by an angle of approximately 90, which, with due allowance for the transverse thickness of the blade 9 at its junction with the head 8, then limits the possible adjustment of the squeegee blade 9 to the dash-line indication of the blade position in F 10. 2 in which the plane of the blade then includes the axis of the handle socket 24, whereby the blade 8 is then operative in its plane as an erasing means for relatively soft materials erasably adherent to a work surface S. It will thus be understood that the preferred provision for the erasing disposal of the squeegee blade 9, including the provision of a scraping blade 26 on a jaw of the element 15 provide for a universal use of the present squeegee implement 6.

Since surfaces to be cleaned by a squeegee unit may carry relatively hard materials adhesive thereto, the present unit also desirably provides a rigid scraping blade for its working application alternatively with the squeegee blade, as required. Accordingly, and as shown, a scraper blade 26 extends forwardly and integrally from the clamp jaw 17 which is engageable with the end edge 17' of said jaw by the forwardly-directed squeegee blade 9 when the latter is in its indicated erasing position. Most simply, and as shown, the scraper blade 26 is integral with and extends from the clamp jaw providing it, and terminally provides a chisel edge 26' which is operative along a working surface S in the plane of the squeegee element 7 and extends angularly from and beyond the corresponding jaw end edge 17' in acute-angled relation to the plane of said jaw edge and the axis of the socket 24 to provide for the unhampered working application of the scraper blade 26 to such strongly adherent materials as set plaster or chewing gum to be removed from a surface S by the head portion of the present implement 6.

In general reference to the present implement members, it will be noted that the assembly of the basic squeegee unit 10 solely comprises the one-piece squeegee body providing the integrally related head and blade portions in enclosing combination with the onepiece rod 12 with its blade-stiffening rib extension 13, as comprising a two-piece unitary tool for hand application. On the other hand, the complete implement 6 further includes the unitary clamp-on handle element 15 with its clamp bolt 21 to the squeegee unit 10, whereby the complete implement 6 advantageously and solely comprises a four-piece structure in a relatively simple and effective squeegee combination which may be provided at a minimum cost.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the present squeegee implement of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have described the principles of application, together with assemblies which I consider to comprise preferred embodiments thereof, I desire to have it understood that the showings are primarily illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is 1. A squeegee element having an elongated homogeneous body of resiliently flexible and compressible material, said body comprising an elongated and uniformly tubular head portion having a longitudinally extending bore therein, and integral wiper blade portion extending radially from said head portion and terminating in a working edge parallel to said head portion bore, said blade portion having a radial extension of said bore therein for the entire length of said bore, and a relatively rigid squeegee stiffening rod member complementarily engaged in said bore and said extension thereof.

2 A squeegee element as set forth in claim 1 in which said stiffening member within said body provides a rib extension integral therewith and projecting radially from said head portion within a part of said blade portion receiving said rib extension of the stiffening member whereby transverse flexing of said blade portion under working conditions for the squeegee element is effectively limited to the blade portion beyond the rib extremity.

3. A squeegee element as set forth in claim 1 in which said stiffening member comprises a continuous uniform rod extending within said bore and having its extremities in inwardly spaced relation from the ends of said bore, said stiffening rod being provided with a rigid rib projecting radially therefrom and disposed within said bore extension, whereby the enclosed rib extension is operative as a transverse stiffening means within the portion of the blade receiving the same.

gripping said stiffening member through and with the head portion of said squeegee element, said unit having an elongated handle extension having its axis extending radially of the engaged head portion of said body in longitudinally adjustable position on said head portion.

5. An implement as defined in claim 4 in which one of said jaws provides a relatively rigid scraping blade spaced outwardly from said squeegee blade portion and having its working edge parallel to that of said squeegee blade portion. 

1. A squeegee element having an elongated homogeneous body of resiliently flexible and compressible material, said body comprising an elongated and uniformly tubular head portion having a longitudinally extending bore therein, and integral wiper blade portion extending radially from said head portion and terminating in a working edge parallel to said head portion bore, said blade portion having a radial extension of said bore therein for the entire length of said bore, and a relatively rigid squeegee stiffening rod member complementarily engaged in said bore and said extension thereof.
 2. A squeegee element as set forth in claim 1 in which said stiffening member within said body provides a rib extension integral therewith and projecting radially from said head portion within a part of said blade portion receiving said rib extension of the stiffening member whereby transverse flexing of said blade portion under working conditions for the squeegee element is effectively limited to the blade portion beyond the rib extremity.
 3. A squeegee element as set forth in claim 1 in which said stiffening member comprises a continuous uniform rod extending within said bore and having its extremities in inwardly spaced relation from the ends of said bore, said stiffening rod being provided with a rigid rib projecting radially therefrom and disposed within said bore extension, whereby the enclosed rib extension is operative as a transverse stiffening means within the portion of the blade receiving the same.
 4. A squeegee implement comprising the combination of a one-piece squeegee element having an elongated body of resiliently flexible and compressedly yielding material of uniform exterior cross-section therealong and having a uniform cylindrical head portion defining a uniform axial bore and a blade portion extending uniformly and radially from the head portion, a relatively rigid member retainably mounted entirely within the confines of said squeegee element for transversely stiffening said body, a separate handle-providing unit having mutually opposed jaws adapted for complementarily and directly and non-rotatively gripping said stiffening member through and with the head portion of said squeegee element, said unit having an elongated handle extension having its axis extending radially of the engaged head portion of said body in longitudinally adjustable position on said head portion.
 5. An implement as defined in claim 4 in which one of said jaws provides a relatively rigid scraping blade spaced outwardly from said squeegee blade portion and having its working edge parallel to that of said squeegee blade portion. 